


Rhodey would DECK Howard and that's the fucking tea

by literally_no_idea



Series: Decking Howard [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-24 02:17:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17695730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literally_no_idea/pseuds/literally_no_idea
Summary: Howard shows up in the future. Tony is exhausted, and Rhodey is fucking pissed.





	Rhodey would DECK Howard and that's the fucking tea

**Author's Note:**

> based on [ this prompt ](https://tonystark-tm.tumblr.com/post/182619547719/theres-tons-of-fics-w-howard-appearing-in-the)

When Tony gets called into S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, he shows up irritated, because he’s been working on improved designs for their helicarriers and if they keep calling him in just to fix a faulty computer he’s going to fucking throw something, because he can’t work on new designs if they keep treating him like their resident IT guy, damn it.

 

He’s just starting to tell this to the agent who meets him in the lobby when Agent Hill comes up, thanks the agent for his help, and then gestures for Tony to follow her. Tony starts telling her the same thing when she interrupts him. “This isn’t about a technology problem, Stark. You might want to prepare yourself,” she says, and he’s about to make a distasteful joke when she opens a door, and Tony finds himself face to face with his father.

 

Howard looks much younger; Tony places him at about the age he was when Tony was eight, and Howard stands up from his seat at the table in the center of the room, frowning as he looks Tony up and down.

 

Tony grabs the door from Agent Hill, shutting it and turning to her. “What the fuck is he doing here.”

 

“We were hoping you could help us figure that out. We don’t even know how he got here, he just walked in from outside and started asking questions about all the technology he’d seen so far,” she says, and Tony sighs, running a hand over his face.

 

“Fine. Yeah, okay. You might want to get the rest of the team together, because if he’s not my father, or even if he is, there’s a chance that more crazy shit is going to happen. I need to make a call, and then I’ll… I’ll talk to him, I guess. See if I can’t figure out where he’s from, how he got here, why he’s here,” Tony says, walking away without giving Agent Hill a change to answer. He pulls out his phone, calls the second number on his phone, and waits.

 

“Tony, this better be important, it’s 4am and I am not going to pick you up from another party--”

 

“He’s here, Rhodey. My dad is here. I don't know how. I don't know why. But he’s currently sitting here in S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and I’m freaking the fuck out, I don't know what I’m supposed to do--”

 

“Give me 30 minutes,” comes the answer, and then Rhodey hangs up. Tony puts the phone back in his pocket, tapping his hand against his side as he walks back to the room his father is in. He stands in front of the door for a moment, takes a shaky breath, and then enters.

 

Howard looks up as he comes in, once again seated at the table. “You look like my son,” Howard comments, “but I can’t imagine how my son would have made it as far as being part of S.H.I.E.L.D. or any other government program.” Tony flinches, forces himself to sit down at the table across from his father.

 

“Well, you don't have to imagine it, I’m right here. How did you get here?” Tony asks, and Howard shakes his head in disbelief.

 

“My son, actually doing something useful. So, you finally grew the balls to make weapons to protect this country, did you?”

 

Tony tenses, turning his gaze to stare down at the table. “No, I stopped making weapons. How did you get here, dad,” he says again, and Howard scoffs.

 

“Stopped making weapons? So, you’re weak-willed, is that it?” He asks, continuing without giving Tony a chance to answer. “I’m not entirely sure how I got here. Workshop mishap, maybe.”

 

The door to the room opens. “Stark, we need you for a minute,” Agent Hill says, and Tony stands, steps out of the room and follows Agent Hill down the hall, into a larger meeting room where they’ve already gathered Steve, Bruce, Clint, and Natasha. Everyone turns as Tony and Agent Hill enter.

 

“What’s going on?” Bruce asks, and Agent Hill picks a remote up off the table, turns on a screen across from the door that shows the room Howard’s in.

 

There’s a pause, and then Steve speaks. “Is that your father?”

 

Tony nods. “Yeah, that’s him. In the flesh, unfortunately. He’s not sure how he got here, but I’m sure I can figure out how to send him back,” Tony says, and Steve frowns.

 

“You don’t want your father here? You really don’t want to talk to him?” Steve asks, and Tony shakes his head.

 

“No. I’d rather he stay in the past where he belongs, if he has to stay anywhere. Look, we just need to get him home, okay? That’s all that matters right now. I’m going to go back in there and see what technology he messed with. Hopefully it was an isolated thing, and that’s the end of it. If not, we’ll need to go see what else has to be dealt with.”

 

The door opens and Rhodey enters, immediately walking over to Tony and enveloping him in a hug. Rhodey pulls back, hands still on Tony’s shoulders, and looks up at the screen. “It’s really him?” Rhodey asks, and Tony nods.

 

“I’m going to go see if I can figure this out,” Tony says, and Rhodey’s eyes widen.

 

“Tony, you’re not seriously going to go talk to him.”

 

“I don’t have many choices. It’ll be fine. I’ll be right back,” Tony says, and leaves before Rhodey can argue.

 

He goes back down the hall again, sits down across from Howard. “Okay. So what were you working with, before you ended up here,” he asks, and Howard frowns.

 

“That’s no way to address your father, is it?” Howard asks, and Tony barely represses a flinch.

 

“No, it’s not, I’m sorry. But I need to know what you were working on, if I have any chance of getting you back to your own time,” Tony says, and Howard actually laughs.

 

“Son, I know you find it fun to play with technology, but you don't seriously think that you can figure this out, do you? You don’t exactly have the kind of mind for that. You said so yourself, you don’t even make weapons,” Howard says, and Tony freezes up, can’t speak, and he hates it, because he’s an adult, damn it, what’s wrong with him? He just needs to say something, but he can’t, he can’t.

 

Howard frowns. “What, can’t even talk to your old man? You’ve got something to say son, then just say it, come on, man up,” he says, and before Tony can answer, there’s a commotion in the hallway, and the door bursts open, Rhodey storming in and picking Howard up by the front of his shirt.

 

“You son of a bitch,” Rhodey growls, letting go of Howard long enough to pull back and punch him, hard. Howard stumbles back, clutching his bleeding nose, as Steve and Clint grab Rhodey, dragging him backwards before he can hit Howard again.

 

“How dare you!” Howard shouts, and Rhodey strains against Steve and Clint’s hold.

 

“How dare I? What’s your problem, man? Can’t handle someone standing up to you and your bullshit? You’ve got a son who is absolutely brilliant, and you treat him like that? You think you’re better than him because your his father? Grow up! Tony is everything you wish you could have been, you abusive, Captain America obsessed, power hungry jackass. The only good thing you ever did was contribute to Tony’s DNA, and even then, Tony at least did something useful with his brain! At least he has a fucking heart, no thanks to you!” Rhodey finally breaks Steve and Clint’s hold, both of them too shocked to hold onto him tightly, and throws one last punch, this one dropping Howard on his back on the floor.

 

Turning, Rhodey walks over to Tony, putting a hand on his shoulder gently. “Ready to go?” he asks, and Tony looks up at him, wide eyed.

 

“I… I have to find out how he--” Tony starts, and Rhodey shakes his head.

 

“No. Someone else can talk to him. It can wait. You want Chinese food? I heard there’s a pretty good place not far from here, has an amazing selection. My treat.” Rhodey holds out his hand, and Tony takes it, standing up and following Rhodey out of the room.

 

“Leave Tony a fucking voicemail, we’re busy today!” Rhodey shouts over his shoulder, leading Tony through the lobby and to his car in the parking lot. “Come on, anything you want to eat, dude. I can even make you some of my mama’s homemade recipes at my place, if you want,” Rhodey offers, and Tony nods, finally starting to process what’s happened in the last few minutes.

 

“Yeah. Sure. You don’t happen to remember how to make your mom’s mac and cheese, do you? And her chocolate raspberry cake?” Tony asks, and Rhodey grins.

 

“As it just so happens, I do. Buckle up, we’re headed home.”


End file.
